Las Colinas – Irving, Texas
Las Colinas is mixed-use planned community development in Irving, Texas, part of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, governed by The Las Colinas Association, a Texas non-profit corporation. Due to its central location between Dallas and Fort Worth and its proximity to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and Dallas Love Field Airport, Las Colinas has been a focus of corporate and business relocation. It has many corporate offices and retail spaces, luxury hotels, townhomes, single-family homes, private country clubs, gated enclaves, urban lofts, parks, landscaped watercourses, and its own light-rail transit system.
Originally called El Ranchito de Las Colinas (“the Little Ranch of the Hills”), Las Colinas was developed in 1972 by cattle ranching millionaire Ben H. Carpenter. It was one of the first planned communities in the United States and was once the largest mixed-use development in the South, with a land area of more than 12,000 acres (49 km2). Urban planners were consulted to lay out the entire town, an undertaking that predated later projects in Plano, Allen, and other Dallas suburbs.
During the 1980s building boom, Las Colinas became a popular location for relocating companies and office developers, attracting many corporations, including the global headquarters of four Fortune 500 companies and offices of more than 30 others, such as ExxonMobil, GTE Telephone (now Verizon), Kimberly-Clark and Associates Corp.
In 1985, the first sign of financial trouble appeared at Las Colinas after a real estate market crash. However, another 6,500,000 square feet (604,000 m2) of office space was built in the late 1990s boom.
Whether a neighborhood is a good place to live or not could also depend on the nearby amenities. Having a high walk score means that there are a lot of places nearby like stores, restaurants, coffee shops, schools, and more. While the scores are by no means perfect, they are a good indicator for “stuff to do” around those places. Things like proximity to grocery stores, dining options, and parks can make a huge difference in your daily lives.
There are also plenty of dining options for the residents of Las Colinas, Irving. You can grab your morning cup of coffee from Hackberry Creek Country Club, Pax & Beneficial, or Le Peep and sit down for a relaxed weekend brunch at Trevi’s Restaurant, Modern Market, or Fuzzy’s Taco Shop. Dessert shops like Argentina Bakery, FroYo Smoo-Licious, and Braum’s Ice Cream & Dairy Store in Las Colinas, Irving are great options for satisfying your sweet tooth.
Residents love to order tacos from Fuzzy’s Taco Shop, Bar Manzanilla, or Mercado Juarez, and burgers from Shake Shack, Wendy’s, or Burger Island. 54th Street Restaurant & Drafthouse, Maki Boy, or Hackberry Creek Country Club are some great spots for a fun dine-in experience.
Las Colinas, Irving has quite a few grocery stores including Whole Foods Market, Patel Brothers, and Nick’s Spirits.